Tuesday, July 30, 2013

He loves campaigning, hates working

BULLY BOY PRESS &    CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

LIKE THE BATTERED SPOUSE HE IS, CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O CAN'T STOP GOING ON ABOUT THE "GRAND BARGAIN" HE'S GOING TO OFFER REPUBLICANS.

AS HE CONTINUES TO PLUMMET IN THE POLLS, BARRY O HOPES TRAVELING AROUND AND GIVING SPEECHES WILL SOMEHOW CAUSE HIM TO BE BELOVED YET AGAIN.

HE FORGETS THE BASIC FACT THAT NOT ONE JOB WAS CREATED BY HIS VARIOUS SPEECHES. 


FROM THE TCI WIRE:






Iraq is bleeding.  Nathan Morely (Vatican Radio) notes, "A relentless campaign of bombings and shootings has killed nearly 4,000 people in Iraq since the start of this year -- that's according to the violence monitoring group Iraq Body Count.  The violence has raised fears of a return to full-blown conflict in the country where Kurds, Shia and Sunni Muslims have yet to find a stable way of sharing power."   Salam Faraj and Ahmed al-Rubaye (AFP) note, "More than 800 people have now been killed in violence so far this month, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources - an average of upwards of 27 a day."   Iraq Body Count counts  831 violent deaths in Iraq so far this month through Sunday and  violence continues to slam Iraq.  Today's violence led acting head of UNAMI Gyorgy Busztin to declare, "I am deeply concerned about the heightened level of violence which carries the danger that the country falls back into sectarian strife.  Iraq is bleeding from randmo violence, which sadly reached record heights during the Holy month of Ramadan."

 This morning,  Duraid Adnan (New York Times) counted 15 car bombings throughout the country with a death toll of 46 and over a hundred left wounded.. Kareem Raheem (Reuters) reports the death toll from the car bombings has already reached 60. Sofia News Agency offers, "The Baghdad bombs, hidden in parked cars, hit markets and car parks in several areas of the city, police say. The deadliest was said to have hit the eastern Shia district of Sadr City."  The car bombings in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Kut, Samawa and elsewhere were not the only acts of violence in Iraq today -- nor were they the only acts of violence that resulted in loss of life.  For example, the National Iraqi News Agency reports 1 person was shot dead in Baquba.  As if often the case when Iraqi violence gets significant press attention, the press tends to focus on areas with a high volume of deaths.  That's why 28 deaths spread out around the country with 2 here, 3 there, etc -- especially with the bulk outside of Baghdad -- rarely results in intense press coverage and why the rising death toll tends to creep up on (and surprise) many press outlets.



Yang Yi (Xinhua) notes, "Monday's bombing spree came after 14 people were killed in attacks across the country on Sunday.  Last week, dozens of gunmen stormed Taji and Abu Ghraib prisons, respectively north and west of Baghdad, in an attempt to free prisoners."  For the BBC, Rami Rhuayem addressed the violence today (link is video).  Excerpt.

Rami Ruhayem:  It's been going on for a long time but, as you said, this is a marked increase in violence.  And this time it appears it might be on the verge of causing political problems.  You might think it should have caused political problems a long time ago, but actually the government has been able -- with a very complex range of tactics -- to deflect blame and to escape the kind of public anger directed against it  which such violence would cause in other places.  However, now -- and after the prison break just over a week ago in which hundreds of prisoners -- high value, dangerous prisoners -- escaped -- there were cracks within the government and people were asking "Why?"  Which is your question and which I cannot answer but which the government is now under increasing pressure to answer: Why can you not stop all these car bombs from entering Baghdad when you know that people are trying to do this?   How come you cannot guard high-value prisons when you know that people are trying to get the prisoners out? 



Deutsche Welle observes that tensions have been mounting for some time in Iraq as evidenced by the ongoing protests, "Protests broke out in Sunni-majority areas at the end of 2012 and are still ongoing. Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority has argued that the Shiite-led government was failing to address its concerns, instead marginalizing and targeting their community with unwarranted arrests and terrorism charges."   Arthur Bright (Christian Science Monitor) points out:

 The string of car bombs is just the latest event in Iraq's ongoing sectarian conflict, which has flared in recent months. The BBC reports that April, May, and June of this year each saw more than 700 people, mostly civilians, killed in Iraq, with a high of some 1,045 dead in May, according to United Nations figures. July has already surpassed the 700-dead mark, with Reuters putting the tally at 810 so far. Iraq Body Count, an independent watchdog tallying the conflict's death toll, put July's total at 831 before today's attacks.





A statement issued today by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon observed, "Iraq is at another crossroads.  Its political leaders have a clear responsibility to bring the country back from the brink, and to leave no space to those who seek to exploit the political stalemate through violence and terror."


All Iraqi News notes the Sunni Endowment has condemned the attacks as has the European Union.  KUNA notes that the United Kingdom also condemned today's attacks.  And credit to US Ambassador Robert Beecroft and the US Embassy in Iraq for immediately releasing a statement condemning the violence:





The United States condemns in the strongest terms the brutal terrorist attacks that killed and injured dozens of innocent Iraqis across the nation today. We deplore the senseless loss of life caused by these attacks and offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and hope for the quick recovery of those injured. The United States stands firmly with Iraq in its fight against terrorism.




Not long ago, a self-righteous prig in the media was mocking the statements such as the above.  'What good do they do?' huffed the idiot.  Well they don't do you much good, but they're not aimed at you.  They acknowledge an attack, they express condemnation and this is aimed at the Iraqi people the same way, for example, statements immediately following 9-11 were aimed at the American people to let them know that they were not alone.  The statements do matter.  They especially matter when there are repeat attacks and people, such as the Iraqis, see France and England repeatedly condemn the attacks while the US is silent.  That has been the case for some time.   It sends a message to the Iraqi people and its a message in conflict with the 'aid' (military and diplomatic) that the US continues to send supposedly to improve Iraq.


This morning, we asked: Will Iraq come up in the State Dept press briefing today?  And we noted: It generally does not.  When it does, the press tends to be asking about Iran or Syria.  Despite the huge death tolls in Iraq of the last months, Iraq really hasn't been seen as a topic to explore in the briefings -- despite the billions of US tax dollars the State Dept is now given each year to spend in Iraq.





The State Dept has had its press briefing today.  Neither spokesperson Jen Psaki nor the reporters present bothered to raise the issue of Iraq.  How very telling. Iraq was also ignored at the White House press briefing by Josh Earnest today.  Please note, Ernest felt the need to touch on such 'pressing issues' as "some grilled chicken, some pasta jambalaya" and other nonsense but neither he nor the reporters present felt the need to mention Iraq.  Not everyone was silent on Iraq today.  One journalist had a conversation with himself on the topic.    Dan Murphy (Christian Science Monitor) played Socrates as he provided answers to a series of questions he asked himself:  We'll note this one.


Q: What are the political implications of the attacks for Iraq?


Maliki doesn't even lead a unified Shiite bloc in government. The political movement of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr frequently opposes Maliki's initiatives, and Maliki appeared to blame the Sadrists for assisting the Al Qaeda jailbreak in a television address. He said the guards who collaborated with the attackers were directed to do so by a militia linked to Mr. Sadr.
That claim is evidence of deep political tensions inside Iraq that have been threatening to boil over for months.


 While Dan Murphy aims high with the Socratic method, Alexander Besant takes Global Post into the gutter by seeking out the 'thoughts' of "Middle East analyst' Jared Levy. Levy's showboated stupidity can be seen in the following exchange:

 
What was the protest encampment in Hawija about and why did the government crack down so hard?

JL: I think the government made the decision to clear the protest camp for two reasons. First, it was a response to a recent incident of individuals connected to the protest movement in Hawija attacking security forces in the area. Second, at that phase of the protest movement, I think the central government wanted to take a stand that they weren’t going to allow sustained financially disruptive activity, such as permanent encampments, or protracted blocking of major highways.


 It should be noted that Besant is a big dumb ass for reprinting that garbage.  First off, Liar Levy (or maybe just stupid, he does seem to think that recent bachelor degree made him an expert on something) is referring to the April 23rd massacre  --  when Nouri's federal forces stormed a sit-in and killed adults and children.  Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk)  announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault. UNICEF informed the world that 8 of the dead were children and twelve more children were left injured.  The world largely shrugged.


Let's deal with his claims and I'm not in the mood to spoon feed today.  He claims the massacre was a response to "individuals connected to the protest movement in Hawija attacking security forces in the area."  That is a claim.  It's not a convincing one.  The Friday before the Tuesday massacre, there was violence in Hawija.  Check that day's snapshot if you're late to the party.  One protester was killed.  By security forces.  Away from the protests, a figure seen darting through the street, would attack security forces (killing one).  That took place after the fact and away from the protest area.  The claim that it was a protester has never been established.

Second, Hawija, April 23rd, had to be stopped so Nouri could say they "weren't going to allow sustained financially disruptive activity, such as permanent encampments, or protected blockings of major highways"?  But they had already allowed just that.  Is Levy so ignorant that he's unware of that?  Has he never heard of Anbar Province?  Has he missed the blocking of the international highway in the seven months of protests?  A blocking that started months before the April 23rd massacre?

Nothing Levy says makes sense because he doesn't know the facts.  It's embarrassing.  It's also outrages that Global Post allows a massacre of a sit-in to be talked about in such terms.  Shame on them.  They have blood on their hands -- including the blood of children.  They allow idiot Levy to pontificate on how Sadr might respond -- "" -- which is only more problematic since Sadr called for protests against Nouri's handling of the security situation (mishandling) Sunday, July 21st -- not Sunday yesterday, two Sundays ago:

 All Iraq News notes cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr is calling for the people to protest the government's lack of response to the violence and sttes, "The silence of the people concerning the terrorist bombings, the people of other countries would revolt and call for toppling the government if their countries witnessed such bombings.  We witness strange silence over these bombings and we cannot grant the government another chance to improve the situation."

 The next day, World Bulletin interpreted Moqtada's statements as calling for the overthrow of Nouri al-Maliki.  A week later, 'expert' Levy shows up to tell the world that the worsening security situation might lead Moqtada to criticize Nouri.  What an idiot.  'Predicting' the past for too many years to count, Jared Levy.


As he provides cover for Nouri al-Maliki, Levy becomes an increasingly sidelined observer.  Today, the editorial board of the Guardian points out:


 But the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has proved to be a disastrous leader, subverting the constitution to concentrate power in his own hands, to exclude the Sunni minority and potentially to threaten the so far peaceful Kurdish north. The resulting Sunni backlash, exploited by al-Qaeda, is the background to the latest violence. The situation has been made worse by recent breakouts from the Abu Ghraib and Taji prisons, which returned veteran extremists to the fray and which suggest that the government may be as incompetent as it is dictatorial. Security, after all, is supposed to be Maliki's forte.




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Saturday, July 27, 2013

Who failed to give them what they deserved?

BULLY BOY PRESS &    CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE

AMERICA'S PRINCESS BARRY O KEEPS FORGETTING THAT HE'S IN HIS FIFTH YEAR AS PRESIDENT.  TODAY HE DECLARED THAT AMERICAN VETERANS OF THE KOREAN WAR "DESERVE BETTER."

IF THEY "DESERVE BETTER," THAN SHAME ON THE U.S. PRESIDENT WHO HAS REFUSED TO GIVE IT TO THEM.

FROM THE TCI WIRE: 



Today, protesters gathered across Iraq.  Iraqi Spring MC reports protesters gathered in Baghdad, in Basra, in Shirqat,  in Tikrit, in Samarra,  Protesters noted the increased violence and the lack of public services, the government's budget (and wondered what it was actually spent on).  National Iraqi News Agency notes Ramadi and Falluja saw "thousands" turn out.  In Ramadi, Imam Sheikh Saad Fayyad declared the government had an obligation to protect Sunnis from the militias.  In Diyala, there was a call to curb the militias and for "the federal government to release detainees."  In Samarra, Sheikh Samir Fouad called for the "government to stop the killing crimes against sons of Sunnis component by militias."   Alsumaria notes Shirqat protesters demanded improved security and improved living conditions. And Alsumaria reports that "hundreds" camped out in Baghdad's Firdous Square calling for an end to corruption.  In addition, protesters in Basra continue protesting.  Kitabat reports  that the Basra protests continue and that Shi'ites there are calling for a new government to be formed.  Al Mada notes that demonstrators in Anbar, Salahuddin, Kirkuk and Diyala Province all demanded that the government stop the targeting of Sunnis and, in Kirkuk, called on the Arab League and the United Nations to end the genocide of Iraq's Sunnis.


Since December 21st protests have been ongoing in Iraq. It has been seven months.  Many, possibly basing their conclusions on 2011 events, wrongly thought that the holy month of Ramadan would stop the protests.  While Ramada continues through August 7th, the fact is that Ramadan did not stop the protests or greatly reduce the turnout.  There's one Friday left.

As for demands regarding public services, Wael Grace (Al Mada) reports that members of Parliament's Energy Committee state that the failure of the ministries to corrodinate and the mismanagement of government have left Iraq worse off in terms of power and that Nouri al-Maliki's two years of foot dragging with regards to a contract with Shell has left Iraq no where near able to provide the needed electricity to the citizens.  Nouri's government can't provide the basic public services.  The Iraq Times reports that Nouri is gearing up to purchase 12 helicopters and assorted other items from the United States.  Kitabat adds that Nouri's prepping to spend 2 billion.  Paul McLeary (Defense News) notes, "The Defense Department notified Congress on Thursday that it is working on three deals with the government of Iraq to sell $1.9 billion worth of military equipment and logistical support to the country, including Stryker infantry vehicles, helicopters and maintenance and logistical support for its fleet of American-made ground vehicles."

Yesterday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency issued the following notice:


WASHINGTON, July 25 , 2013 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq of Multi - Platform Maintenance a nd associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $ 750 million . 
The Government of Iraq has requested a possible sale to provide for a five year follow - on maintenance support for the M88A1 Recovery Vehicle, M88A2 Hercules, M113 Family of Vehicles, M109A5 Howitzers, M198 Howitzers, M1070 Heavy Equipment Trailer and Truck (HETT), M977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT ), High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), and the Tactical Floating River Bridge System (TFRBS) Including, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical data, personnel training and training equipment, site surveys, Quality Assurance Teams, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, and other related elements of program and logistics support. The estimated cost is $750 million. 
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner . This proposed sale directly supports the Iraqi government and serves the interests of the Iraqi people and the United States. 
Helping Iraq maintain, sustain, and effectively utilize the equipment it has purchased or received from the United States over the past decade is a U.S. priority. This proposed sale is essential to provide Iraq with the support, spares, services, and equipment necessary to continue its effective use of its ground - based vehicle fleet. 
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. 
The principal contractor involved in this program is unknown at this time . There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. 
Implementation of this proposed sale will require multiple U.S. Government or contractor representatives to travel to Iraq over period of (5) years to establish maintenance support, on - the - job (OJT) maintenance training and maintenance advice for program and technical support and training. 
There will be no adverse impact on United States defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. 
This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.


Meanwhile Mustafa al-Kadhimi (Al-Monitor) argues that Iraqi politicians have grown estranged from the people that they are supposed to represent:

In the local elections, talk of a 50-70% boycott of the voting process was a real wake-up call. The politicians should have felt and handled the reasons for this boycott, so that it does not turn into a growing phenomenon challenging the legitimacy of the whole democratic system.
Today — less than eight months before the general elections are to be held — politicians should take to the street, share the street’s ideas, feel the suffering of the population and initiate launching social campaigns that prove the candidates are rooted in their communities.
Simply relying on pictures and slogans launched a few days prior to the elections does not show that Iraq is a serious political society. Yet, it repeatedly demonstrates that Iraq is controlled by the experiments of amateurs who don't possess the keys to the future.



The protests continue, the violence continues. Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 807 violent deaths so far this month.  July 2013 is on track to be the most violent month in Iraq since at least 2007.   NINA reports Nouri's SWAT forces raided Badush Prison and the raid resulted in the deaths of 2 prisoners, am armed attack in Balad left one police officer dead, a missile attack in Tikrit left two Iraqi soldiers injured, and police in Diyala killed 1 suicide bomber.  Alsumaria reports an armed attack to the south of Mosul has left Colonel Saad Khalil Saleh dead,  Al-Shorfa quotes the Ministry of the Interior's Colonel Hikmat Mahmoud al-Masari, "A bomb targeted a wedding ceremony in al-Ameriya neighbourhood, western Baghdad, on Thursday night, killing four civilians and wounding 11 others."




RT spoke with Stop the War's John Rees about the increase in violence.  Excerpt.


RT: It's a really alarming death toll we're talking about here. Does this mean Iraq's incapable of maintaining security on its own?
 

John Rees: I think what we are seeing is a long-term effect of the war and occupation. In order to occupy Iraq the Western forces, British and American, adopted a policy of divided rule. They made a sectarian conflict where there wasn’t one before. They created Al Qaeda in Iraq where there was no Al Qaeda before. So I think that the country is suffering under the most enormous strains as the result of that war and occupation. And those strains are being reinforced by the conflict in Syria where actually all sides are now attempting to gain leverage in that conflict through Iraq as well as in Syria.
 

RT:  But does Iraq really have enough resources to contain the violence?
 

JR: We must hope that they do so but truth of the matter is a terrifically weak government. It’s apparently divided in the middle between the people who are sympathetic to Iran’s position in the region and those who feel dependent on Washington. The government only last year made a contract with Russia, as you probably know, to become the second largest arm supplier after US to Iraq. Turkey is constantly impinging on Iraqi air space in order to pursue Kurds in the Iraqi Kurdish region. So it’s the state that’s been left in a catastrophically weak position by  the occupation and which economic positions in the Middle East are weakening still more.

Geoffrey Ingersoll (Business Insider) offers his take on the problems:


As the American presence dissipated, the Shi'ite majority, led by Maliki, quickly sought to consolidate power and mete out retribution on their former Sunni rulers.
Maliki's aggressive consolidation of power immediately aggravated domestic tensions. Rising to power in mid-2006, by 2007 he had staffed the higher positions of government with Shia loyalists. Then he began distancing his government from Sunni and Kurdish leaders, despite Petraeus' reassurances to Sunni leaders.
In 2009, he accused the Sunni security forces, known as the Sons of Iraq, of being infiltrated by Al Qaeda and Saddam-loyal Ba'athists — and analysts expressed worry that Maliki would actually declare war on the Sons of Iraq the moment the U.S. exited the country. This was rough treatment for the group that was largely responsible for taming Al Qaeda in Iraq and bringing peace to the restive western Anbar province.
Maliki could have reached out an olive branch to his rival, former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, whose Sunni-backed, secular-Shiite coalition — called Iraqiya — represented a marginalized but relevant political body in Iraq. Instead, he turned to Iran, seeking monetary backing from the orthodox Shi'ite government.




Alsumaria reports that one escapee from Abu Ghraib prison was arrested today in an eastern Baghdad mosque.  The Sunday prison attacks and breaks only became news outside of Iraq when the number of prisoners who escaped (between 500 and one thousand) was announced on Monday.   Since then, the attacks on two prisons and the escape of prisoners earlier this week have prompted a great deal of the commentary on Iraq.  Today, Jon Lee Anderson (New Yorker)  weighs in:


The latest prison breakout includes, it is said, many senior terrorists, including a number who had been sentenced to death. It took place this past Sunday night, after a complex and bloody attack that included mortars and suicide bombers, as well as an assault by commandos. Several guards and inmates were killed. It comes a year to the day after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Iraq’s Al Qaeda chief, promised to free men from Iraq’s prisons. In the meantime, the Iraqi and Syrian affiliates of Al Qaeda have merged into what is called, with typical grandiloquence, “The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.”
That Baghdadi has been able to fulfill his promise so blatantly and violently, under the noses of the U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces, is extremely alarming. Al Qaeda in Iraq has been surging back, with almost daily suicide attacks or car bombings, in a sectarian campaign against Shiites, as well as with attacks on the Iraqi security forces. Nearly three thousand people have died since April, and over seven hundred have died in July alone. On Thursday, more than forty people were killed in attacks that included the bombing of a café and the execution, by Al Qaeda commandos who, posing as security officers, set up a false checkpoint, of Shiite drivers and passengers.



While the prison news has gotten attention from outside Iraq,  to Iraqis another event this week has resonance as well.  Marwan Ibrahim (Middle East Online) observes:



Sunni militants summarily executed at least 14 Shiites on Thursday after setting up a roadblock north of Baghdad, stopping trucks and checking the IDs of drivers, Iraqi officials said.
The nighttime attack was reminiscent of the darkest days of the Sunni-Shiite sectarian bloodshed in Iraq in 2006-2007, when thousands of people were killed because of their religious affiliation or forced to abandon their homes under threat of death.





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Friday, July 26, 2013

Everything is more interesting than Barry!

BULLY BOY PRESS &    CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE


CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O IS SO DULL, BORING AND UNPOPULAR THAT NOW EVEN THE PROCESS OF THE ROLL OUT IS MORE INTERESTING TO THE PRESS THAN BARRY O'S NEVER ENDING SPEECHES.

REACHED FOR COMMENT, BARRY O ASSURED THESE REPORTERS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, "I'LL BE GOING SHIRTLESS NEXT MONTH ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD AND I'LL BE SHOWING BOTH NIPPLES.  BOTH OF THEM.  THIS WILL CURE EVERYTHING! TRUST ME!"


FROM THE TCI WIRE:



The Press Trust of India notes, ""The US is not asking for 'extradition', but simply the return of Mr Snowden. We have sent many people back to Russia," ambassador Michael McFaul wrote on Twitter." Michal McFaul is an idiot who is openly hostile to Russia and has been for decades so it's another one of Barack's failed appointments.  Extradition is the term.  "Return" is not the term.  McFaul is not only an idiot, he's also a liar (a fairly common trait, many would say, among those who were Hoover Institute fellows).  He knows the difference.  Ed Snowden is in another country and the US government wants him in the US to charge him with crimes.  Russia is being asked to participate in extradition.  Just because McFaul is one of the few ambassadors Barack's appointed who didn't buy his seat doesn't mean that he has integrity.


Snowden is whistle-blower Ed Snowden who remains trapped in a Russian airport as an elderly man mocks him on TV, as outlets claim the American public is turning against him and as the US Senate contemplates measures against Russia.  What is going on?


A great deal, but first reality,  Ed Snowden is an American citizen and whistle-blower who had been employed by the CIA and by the NSA before leaving government employment for the more lucrative world of contracting.  At the time he blew the whistle, he was working for Booz Allen Hamilton doing NSA work.  Glenn Greenwald (Guardian) had the first scoop (and many that followed) on Snowden's revelations that the US government was spying on American citizens, keeping the data on every phone call made in the United States (and in Europe as well) while also spying on internet use via PRISM and Tempora.  US Senator Bernie Sanders decried the fact that a "secret court order" had been used to collect information on American citizens "whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing."  Sanders went on to say, "That is not what democracy is about.  That is not what freedom is about. [. . .] While we must aggressively pursue international terrorists and all of those who would do us harm, we must do it in a way that protects the Constitution and civil liberties which make us proud to be Americans."  The immediate response of the White House, as Dan Roberts and Spencer Ackerman (Guardian) reported,  was to insist that there was nothing unusual and to get creaky and compromised Senator Dianne Feinstein to insist, in her best Third Reich voice, "People want to keep the homeland safe."  The spin included statements from Barack himself.   Anita Kumar (McClatchy Newspapers) reports, "Obama described the uproar this week over the programs as “hype” and sought to ensure Americans that Big Brother is not watching their every move."  Josh Richman (San Jose Mercury News) quoted Barack insisting that "we have established a process and a procedure that the American people should feel comfortable about."  Apparently not feeling the gratitude, the New York Times editorial board weighed in on the White House efforts at spin, noting that "the Obama administration issued the same platitude it has offered every time President Obama has been caught overreaching in the use of his powers: Terrorists are a real menace and you should just trust us to deal with them because we have internal mechanisms (that we are not going to tell you about) to make sure we do not violate your rights." The more Barack attempted to defend the spying, the more ridiculous he came off.  Mike Masnick (TechDirt) reviewed Barack's appearance on The Charlie Rose Show and observed of the 'explanations' offered, "None of that actually explains why this program is necessary. If there's a phone number that the NSA or the FBI gets that is of interest, then they should be able to get a warrant or a court order and request information on that number from the telcos. None of that means they should be able to hoover up everything."  As US House Rep John Conyers noted, "But I maintain that the Fourth Amendment to be free from unreasonable search and seizure to mean that this mega data collected in such a super aggregated fashion can amount to a Fourth Amendment violation before you do anything else.  You've already violated the law, as far as I am concerned."  Barack couldn't deal with that reality but did insist, in the middle of June, that this was an opportunity for "a national conversation."  He's always calling for that because, when it doesn't happen, he can blame the nation.  It's so much easier to call for "a national conversation" than for he himself to get honest with the American people. And if Barack really believes this has kicked off "a national conversation" then demonizing Ed Snowden is a really strange way to say "thank you."


An elderly man mocks him?  David Letterman, the true definition of ass -- actually the true definition of ass with nose hair. Up close, David Letterman's nose hair is probably his most distinguished characteristic and, no, that's not a plus.  Last night the angry, bitter and, yes, highly sexist, talk show host decided the thing to do was a skit mocking Ed Snowden (again mocking, actually).  That's because David is incredibly stupid.  That's why women have long complained about their treatment on his show and why CBS is eager to move Letterman to the door.  Long after he's forgotten -- and he's no Johnny Carson -- Ed Snowden's revelations will have still made a difference and maybe that's what pisses Dave off the most these days?  No, what pisses him off the most is that his staid and dull CBS program is a lousy way to end the career especially when compared to NBC's Late Night with David Letterman -- a program that actually found him offering some cultural significance.  But that's when Merrill Markoe was in charge of the smiling creation known as "Dave" and not the hack writers Letterman pays on the cheap these days.  Today, tired, old Letterman has all the significance and cachet of Shecky Greene.  Attacking Ed Snowden in skits only ensures that he fades all the quicker.

The US Senate isn't fading away anytime soon ("sadly," some may add).  But Press TV reports they're "considering possible trade sanctions against Russia" should it grant asylum to Ed Snowden.  Having failed at his efforts to kill the Winter Olympics, Senator Lindsey Graham is now pushing this because, clearly, nothing matters more to the citizens of South Carolina than this issue.  See, things are perfect in South Carolina and -- Oh, wait, unemployment has gone up.   Well, at least your seat is safe and -- Oh, wait.  David Sherfinski (Washington Times) reports that a significant conservative challenge is mounting against you for the 2014 GOP primary.  Well, at least you'll be known as the senator obsessed with Russia.  Certainly, the unemployed and those fearful of becoming unemployed will be thrilled with your focus on that.  Reuters reports, "A US Senate panel voted unanimously Thursday to seek trade or other sanctions against Russia or any other country that offers asylum to Edward Snowden. The 30-member Senate Appropriations Committee adopted by consensus an amendment to a spending bill that would direct Secretary of State John Kerry to meet with congressional committees to come up with sanctions against any country that takes Snowden in."

 Which brings us to the poll.  After weeks and weeks of attacks from MSNBC (and Letterman), ABC and the Washington Post want to do a new poll and how it was shopped around, the results.  Or, if you know a damn thing about polling, the 'results.'  I really hoped someone else would do the work this time but we can only wait so long.


Question 13 is the one that everyone's zoomed in on.  Well, no, they haven't.  That would require work.  They've zoomed in on what has been billed as the results of the poll but it's question 13.  The false claim is presented by Jon Cohen and Dan Balz (Washington Post) when they insist, "In the new poll, 53 percent say Snowden should be charged with a crime, up 10 percentage points in a month."  They at least fail to lead with that -- probably because they realize it's trumped up and not reality.   Gary Langer (ABC News) opens with,  "Public attitudes have shifted against Edward Snowden, with more than half of Americans now supporting criminal charges against the former security contractor who’s disclosed details of surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency."  Out of the mouths of idiots.

So what's the reality? 

As always, go to the raw data.  There you'll find the question: "A former government contractors named Edward Snowden has released information to the media about intelligence-gathering efforts by the U.S. National Security Agency.  Do you support or oppose Snowden being charged with a crime for disclosing the NSA's intelligence-gathering efforts?  Do you fell that way strongly, or somewhat?"

First up, the question has changed since June.  When you alter the wording -- which they admittedly did (follow the note by the asterisk), you can't claim you're measuring the same thing.  So let's lose the notion that the respondents in both polls are responding to the same question.  And since the new phrase is a charged one that benefits the administration, let's really stop comparing the June and July results -- whores can continue to compare them because whores busy their bodies so much that their minds never have time for actual thought.

The reality is 36%  favor prosecution, 19% oppose it (in the case outlined in the question).  Somewhat?  The case is known.  If you have an opinion on either side, you have a strong opinion, you have a firm one.  This story didn't just emerge yesterday.  When you add the somewhats you get 36%.  That's the figure of people who feel they have to give an answer but don't really have an opinion and they need to be lumped in with the 11%.  That gives you 47% of Americans have no opinion.

If you think Ed's action warrant criminal prosecution, you have a strong feeling.  If you think (as I do) that Ed doesn't deserve to be criminally prosecuted, you have a strong feeling.  Those of us in the two camps know where we stand.  The 47% of Americans do not.

There are numerous reasons why Americans now feel more 'fogged' about the issues involved than they did a month ago.  This can include the attacks from MSNBC as well as the near daily attacks by the State Dept (I believe there have been only two State Dept press briefings that did not demonize Ed) and by the White House.  It can also include, and this is probably the largest effect, the reports on Ed that divorced his presence in Russia from the actual story (of revelations by him and the government's demonization of him).  I would also include a chunk in there (small but significant) for China and Russia in terms of fears of Americans that he's going to reveal state secrets to those two governments.  That's not going to happen and probably within six to eight weeks that small chunk of people responding based upon that will be an even smaller chunk and no longer significant.

We've taken on polls here since 2004.  You can check our online record, there are no mistaken interpretations here thus far.  We've taken on polls with results we agreed with as well as with results we opposed.  It has nothing to do with either (though I'm more inclined to explore a poll whose 'reported' 'results' raise my eyebrows).  The analysis above is what the data says.  People may like it or they may hate it but that's the reality of the data.  It's a real shame that common sense is in such short supply at ABC where they try to run with a finding that's both extreme and false.  At least the Washington Post, running with the same finding, didn't lead with it.

I would further add that when taking responses in the United States, you do so in the native tongue.  If you're speaking -- as they were in administering the poll (again, look at the raw data) -- in Spanish, I think you're poll is clouded.  Why?  Because you're presenting this as a national security issue, that's what your poll is doing.  If a respondents isn't comfortable responding in English, that usually means they hail from another country.  Asking a person who has immigrated questions about national security in a host country can alarm the respondent.  This is a polling no-no.  You do not know where the person hails from, you do not know if they left their country of origin due to safety concerns, you do not know how safe they feel their answers are, you do not know if they are a resident who can be deported.  Any of these factors can result in a respondent giving a false response to a poll on US national security issues and government spying.  The entire poll is flawed and those administrating it wasted everyone's money.


The spying took place and it will now continue.  The Voice of Russia (link is audio) noted this development.


Crystal Park:  Despite the major public uproar caused by Edward Snowden's revelation the NSA is spying on Americans' phone records, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has announced the controversial program has been renewed for another three months. Since Snowden's bombshell, President Obama and other government officials have defended the NSA program as a necessary tool to fight terrorism. They have not, however, released the legal reasoning to justify the surveillance, and energy is clearly building in Congress to narrow its scope and challenge its legality.


Crystal Park discussed the issues with the ACLU's Patrick Toomey.  Excerpt.
Patrick Toomey:  The fact that the NSA disclosed the extension of the order, we think, was a self-serving strategy to show that the court has not been shaken in its confidence and its reasoning in support of the program and that it reauthorized the phone record collection of all Americans' phone calls despite the public uproar that's followed Mr. Snowden's disclosures.  But I would note for the public that the NSA has not yet revealed the legal reasoning that stands behind the program, the court order is still secret that the FISA court has not released that order to the public and, therefore, the public has no way of really scrutinizing the legal interpretations that went into it.

 Crystal Park: Sure, the Americans are not going to know the nitty gritty and the legality of the program but do you think that this is a precedent that Edward Snowden has set just by revealing the fact that the program exists and the NSA realizes that they have an angry public to answer to?  Do you think that, in one way, this is something good that has come out of the revelation from Edward Snowden?

Patrick Toomey:  We certainly think it's good that the public is learning more.  You know, it is unfortunate that the NSA's hand was forced in this way and we don't believe that their commitment to transparency goes anywhere beyond really what they view as mere necessity in their management of public relations.  They clearly do not want to be having this discussion.  They think that the debate over the legality of this program should be off the table.  We are glad that Mr. Snowden has spurred this debate but we really hope that it will produce much more transparency than just the NSA's disclosure that the program itself has been extended.  We really want the public to have an open debate about the balance between national security and their liberties.  And that debate is still developing and still really needs to happen in a public way.

 Crystal Park:  So, Patrick I assume that you believe the only reason why the NSA has come out to announce the program has extended is simply because of what happened with Edward Snowden, otherwise they wouldn't have done such a thing.

 Patrick Toomey: That's exactly right.  I think that apart from that, it would not have come out.


Last night, the US House of Representatives had a chance to end the spying.  They failed to do so.    BBC News reports:


In a 205-217 vote, lawmakers rejected an effort to restrict the National Security Agency's (NSA) ability to collect electronic information.
The NSA's chief had lobbied strongly against the proposed measure.
The vote saw an unusual coalition of conservatives and liberal Democrats join forces against the programme.
 A fact sheet on the amendment noted:

 The Amash-Conyers amendment ends NSA’s blanket collection of Americans’ telephone records.  It does this by requiring the FISA court under Sec. 215 to order the production of records that pertain only to a person under investigation.
The amendment has three important practical effects.  First, it ends the mass surveillance of Americans.  The government no longer is authorized under Sec. 215 to hold a pool of metadata on every phone call of every American.  Second, the amendment permits the government to continue to acquire business records and other “tangible things” that are actually related to an authorized counterterrorism investigation.  The government still has access to this tool under the amendment, but it’s forced to comply with the intent of Congress when it passed Sec. 215.  Third, the amendment imposes more robust judicial oversight of NSA’s surveillance.  The FISA court will be involved every time NSA searches Americans’ records, and the court will have a substantive, statutory standard to apply to make sure the NSA does not violate Americans’ civil liberties.
What steps would the government take to collect records if the Amash-Conyers amendment were enacted?  The government would have to provide facts to the FISA court to show that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the records sought (1) are relevant to an appropriately authorized national security investigation and (2) pertain to the person (including any group or corporation) under investigation. 
We know that the government can use that process effectively in its investigations because it already does.  Based on the government’s public statements, it appears that the government routinely goes to the FISA court for Sec. 215 orders for tangible things pertaining to persons under investigation.  If the government uses non-bulk collection for other Sec. 215 orders, there is no good reason why the government needs bulk collection of Americans’ telephone metadata.


Shaun Waterman (Washington Times) also notes the vote:

 Top intelligence officials from the Obama and Bush administrations, along with senior House lawmakers from both parties, succeeded Wednesday in heading off the first legislative challenge to the domestic snooping program exposed by National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.
Arrayed against them was an equally odd cross-section of the political spectrum. Tea party libertarian Republicans and Democratic civil rights advocates — generally at odds — were united behind an amendment to a must-pass defense spending bill that would defund the National Security Agency’s mass collection of Americans’ phone records.





The amendment was proposed by US House Rep Justin Amash and US House Rep John Conyers.  Following the vote, Amash Tweeted this:



  • Justin Amash
    We came close (205-217). If just seven Representatives had switched their votes, we would have succeeded. Thank YOU for making a difference. We fight on to defend liberty.
    22 hours ago

At US House Rep John Conyers Twitter feed, many of those who voted for the amendment were noted:



  1. 8h
    ICYMI: Floor Speech on Amendment Ending the ’s Mass Surveillance of Americans
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  2. 8h
    From - , , and the Mavericks Fighting For Your Civil Liberties
    Retweeted by
    View summary
  3. 20h
    Thanks to Rep. for your leadership defending privacy rights of Americans
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  4. 24 Jul
    Voted for -Conyers but lost 205-217
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  5. 24 Jul
    Voted for amend to DOD Approps. Would have prevented $ for domestic surveillance program from data mining Oregonians. Didnt pass
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  6. 24 Jul
    Russ Feingold was right on Patriot Act. I'm voting YES on amendment to end invasion of privacy.
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  7. 24 Jul
    This Capitol was built on the balance of govt. protecting this country and our privacy. I voted for .
    Retweeted by
    View photo
  8. 24 Jul
    Just voted for the amendment.
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  9. 24 Jul
    We must restore the proper balance between privacy & security. That's why I voted YES to the amendment.
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  10. 24 Jul
    I voted YES on amdt to stop collecting every Americans phone record metadata. We were close: 205-217
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  11. 24 Jul
    House vote on amendment = sign of growing support to reform programs:
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  12. 24 Jul
    Will be voting YES on Amash amendment regarding NSA
    Retweeted by
    Expand
  13. 24 Jul
    Ready to vote "yes" on the to rein in the . Thanks to everyone in who called in today to voice their opinions!
    Retweeted by
    Expand





For a breakdown of the votes, click here.  94 Republicans voted for the Amendment, 111 Democrats voted for it (12 House members did not vote).  Among the idiots voting for it?  Corrine Brown.  The woman with the ugly wigs who can't even get them on straight, the woman who can't speak functional English had a vote.  Shame on Florida's Fifth District for allowing that idiot to represent them.  When we called out Corrine (that got louder when she thought she was going to be the new Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee) a few visitors e-mailed the public account to insist that she had not done a 360 to whore for Barack. Yes, she has.  She disgraced herself making excuses for the VA when veterans were waiting for their GI BIll checks -- she blamed the veterans, she blamed the colleges. She's a disgrace.  When Bully Boy Bush occupied the White House, she couldn't stop complaining about illegal spying. Instead of defending this idiot, you need to hold her accountable.  She's voted for the Libyan War, she's voted to keep US troops in Afghanistan, go down the list.  She's a joke and every time she opens her mouth, the entire country laughs at the Fifth District of Florida.



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